Remote Worker Says He Was "Reprimanded" for Playing with Cat During Zoom Call — "Is This a Red Flag?"

There are advantages and disadvantages to working from home. One pro is that you save time and money since you no longer have to commute. But at the same time, you now have to impress your boss through a computer screen, which can be tough.

While you may be absolutely charming in person, your superior doesn’t know that and will likely judge you based on the work you submit, your interactions during virtual meetings, your Zoom background, and basically anything else that pops up on their screen relating to you. And as we learned from the Reddit post below, one boss just isn’t a fan of employees' cats joining calls.

Reddit u/abovepeach took to the r/antiwork subreddit to ask for users' opinions on whether their boss overreacted to a situation.

"So I just started a new job where I work from home most days, and during a client call my cat jumped on my lap and in view of my camera. Well after the call ended, I got a message from my boss that it’s unprofessional to have pets on screen," the user wrote.

"Is this a red flag?" the asked, noting that they were "very excited about this job," but their boss' comment about their cat made them think that "maybe the culture is toxic."

Users took to the comments to share their thoughts. For the most part, many conveyed that their bosses never had an issue with pets on Zoom calls.

However, others acknowledged that a cat on screen could be a distraction, especially since it happened during a client call.

One person wrote that it depends on the workplace. "My company deals with a lot of confidential info, so the rule is 'no one who can read can see your screen' (therefore, cats and babies are allowed to be present)."

However, they warn that "other places are far more strict with their rules."

Piggybacking onto that, another user wrote: "If I were you, I would try to figure out if your manager told you that out of a control freak thing, or if he identified an actual threat to the business based on how they need to market themselves."

That way, the employee would be able to better assess their company's culture.

Meanwhile, one person advised the orignal poster to not take it personally, if the message was polite. "If your boss wasn't a d--k about it I wouldn't take it as a red flag. Other places may not care, but they do. If you get to WFH and that is the biggest issue then it sounds great to me," the user wrote.

But of course, it wouldn't be Reddit without a slew of funny comments regarding the professionalism of a cat. "Cats are unprofessional. They don't even get dressed for the calls, lazy f--kers. Unless it's a tuxedo cat. Then they might be slightly overdressed," read a comment.

Others continued to tease cats working.

So, should cats not be allowed on Zoom calls for work? Sadly, we do not have an answer for you right meow.